Gold-saving apparatus.



PATBNTED AUG. 2, 1904.

E. S. KELLEY. GOLD SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

NTTEE STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD S. KELLEY, OF ST. JOSEPH, h'IICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOWILLIS IV. COOPER, OF KENOSHA, W'ISCONSIN; HENRY S. COOPER EXECUTOR OFSAID IVILLIS IV. COOPER, DECEASED.

GOLD-SAVING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,626, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed May 22, 1902. Serial No. 108,536.

To all whom, it may concer-71,:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing' at St. Joseph, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gold-SavingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to separators and concentrators for placer-miningand free-gold- Io quartz milling; and one of the objects of theinvention is to produce an improved apparatus for saving gold from sandand earth.

A further object of the invention is the production of a sluice-boxthrough which water I5 and sand are passed by the action of a screw andwithout creating a current in the sluicebox.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a longitudinal central sectionthrough this 2O goldsaving apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsection on dotted line 2 Q. of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan viewof the sluicebox with the conveyor-screw removed. Fig. 4 is a rearelevation of the funnel in the trapbucket.

In the embodiment herein shown of this apparatus I provide a sluice-boxl, substantially semitubular and formed with the integral bottom troughQ. The side walls and bottom of the trough 2 are provided at intervalswith grooves 3 for receiving partitions to 'oe later herein described.The bottom trough 2. is made somewhat deeper at the upper or receivingend of the sluice-box, and the sluicebox is set so that the bottomtrough inclines toward said receiving end, an opening closed by ascrew-plug' LI being provided for draining and cleaning' the sluice-boxand bottom trough. The upper walls of the sluice-box 40 also are higherat the receiving' end of the box, and at its lower end the box isprovided with a discharge-opening 5. At each end of the box are securedbearings 6 for a shaft 7, having' the conveyer-screw 8 and adrive-pulley 9 fixed thereon. Partitions IO, of copper or other suitablematerial amalgamated by being dipped into (No model.)

quicksilver and having' their upper edges cut on thc are of a circlecorresponding' with that of the conveyer-screw, are set into the grooves3 in the bottom troug'h of said sluice-boX, and between these partitionssimilar integral bottom and side plates ll are placed, lying in thebottom trough 2. The lower edges of these partitions are also cut awayslig'htly in the 5 5 openings l2, leavinga channel throughout the lengthof the sluice-box for cleaning without removing the partitions or theconveyor; also,

to permit the amalgam to flow toward the forward end of the sluice-box,this end being' the 6o lower one.

At the upper or receiving' end of the sluicebox I set the trap-bucket13, cut away at one side to permit an overflow into the sluice-boX, andinto this trap-bucket is set a funnel I4, rectangular at its upper endand having' a rectangular lower spout rear turned in the bucket andprovided with a long narrow dischargeopening' 15, covered in the bucketby a quantity of Quicksilver 16 sutlicient to rise above 70 the saiddischarg'e-opening' 15. This quicksilver forms a seal through which thesand and water are forced before they overflow from the bucket and enterthe sluice-box.

An amalgamated plate I7, similar to the plates l0 and Il, is placed inthe trap-bucket 13 and made to conform to the inner walls thereof. Thisplate is placed in the bucket in an inclined position between the lowerend of the funnel and the overflow edge of the S0 trap, the lower edg'eof said plate resting upon the Quicksilver in said bucket. A ilume 18conveys the water and sand to and discharges them into the open upperend of the funnel 14.

In order to enliven the Quicksilver 16 in the bucket I3, I may connectthe quicksilver and the pulp in said bucket with the poles of a batteryor with a dynamo, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the action ofthe electric current keeping' said Quicksilver Huid and preventing itfrom flouring and wasting away with thc flowing water.

At the rear end of the sluice-box I provide lower side of thedischarge-opening an amalgamated plate 19, rising on an incline' fromthe last partition 10 in the bottom trough 2 of said box to a pointslightly below the The plate 19 is made slightly shorter than'the spacebetween the end ofthe sluice-box and said partition 10, so that thespace 2O is left near `the discharge-opening to admit particles-oi1 goldor amalgam to the pocket 21 under said plate 19.

22 and 23 refer to wires connecting the quicksilver and the pulp,respectively, in the trap-bucket 13 with a source 24 of electricalenergy. The trap-bucket 13 may be formed of any suitable material,except that when its contents is to be connected with a source ofelectric energy the bucket should be made of a substance non-conductingof electricity.

In the operation of my improved gold-saving apparatus gold-bearing sandand water from other concentrators or from any other source are broughtto the apparatus by means box 1. The conveyer-screw 8 is driven at acomparatively slow rate of speed, holding the water back in thesluice-box and preventing it from flowing therethrough. As the water hasno current as it passes through the sluicebox the earth and sandcontained in said water is precipitated, falling into the bottom trough2. The bottom trough soon fills With sand; but the gold and amalgam inthe sand being much heavier constantly settle to the bottom of saidbottom trough, where they come into contact with and are retained by thequicksilver on the plates 10 and 11. The excess of sand is' constantlybeing pushed rearward by the traveling screw and carried by the waterfrom the sluice-box to the discharge-opening. Should the sand beingdischarged from the sluice-box carry any particles of gold or amalgam,these particles are likely to be caught by the inclined amalgamatedplate 19 or carried over the rear edge of said plate through the space20 into the pocket 21 under said plate.

At suitable intervals the amalgamated copper plates 10, 11, 17, and 19are removed from the apparatus and burned in order to secure the goldwhich has adhered to the quicksilver upon said plates. When it isdesirable to clean the sluice-box, water is` introduced into thedischarge end of said box and the screwplug 4 removed from its opening,whereupon the water will run through the bottom trough and out of saidScrew-plug opening, carrying The openings 12 besand and dirt with it.

tween the partitions 10 and the bottom of the trough v2 permit the waterto pass Jfrom one end of the 4trough to the opposite end thereof.

I claim as my invention4 y 1. In a gold-saving'apparatus, incombination, a sluice-box; a bottom trough extending longitudinallythereof; amalgamated partitions in said trough; mechanism, a portion ofwhich extends transversely of said sluice-box from side to side thereofand divides thesluicebox into a plurality or' compartments; means foractuating said mechanism to positively move earth and water withcomparative slowness through said sluice-box to prevent current in oragitation of the fluid mass; anda pocket having an inlet-opening in itsupper side near the discharge from said sluice-box, into whichinlet-opening gold particles may fall by gravitation.

2. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combina-y tion, a sluice-box; a bottomtrough extending longitudinally thereof, which bottom trough is inclinedaway from the discharge end of said sluice-box to restore mercury to thereceiving end of the sluice-box; transverse partitions in said bottomtrough, said partitions being cut away at their lower edges' to providean opening for the passage of the mercury; and mechanism for positivelymoving earth and water with comparative slowness through said sluiceboxto. prevent current in or agitation of the Huid mass.

3. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a conveyerfitting closely to the inner walls thereof; means'for rotating saidconveyer to carry earth and water positively and with comparativeslowness through said sluice-box, to prevent current in or agitation ofthe Huid mass; a bottom trough extending longitudinally of said sluicebox; amalgamated partitions in said trough; and a pocket having aninlet-opening near the dischargeopening of said sluice-box, into whichinletopening gold particles fall by gravitation.

4:. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a bottomtrough extending longitudinally thereof, which bottom trough is inclinedaway from the discharge end of said sluice-box to restore mercury to thereceiving end of the sluice-box; transverse partitions in said bottomtrough, said partitions being cut away at their lower edges to providean opening for the passage of the mercury; and a conveyer-screw adaptedto fit the inner walls oi' said sluice-box.

5. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a bottomtrough extending longitudinally of said sluice-box, which bottom troughis inclined away from the discharge end of said sluice-box'to restoremer- IOO IIO

IZO

cury to the receiving end of the sluice-box;

ltransverse partitions in said bottom trough, said partitions being cutaway to provide an opening at their lower edges for the passage of themercury; a conveyer-screw adapted to proximity to the sides of said box;transverse amalgamated partitions in said bottom trough, extending intoclose proximity to the periphery of said screw; amalgamated bottom andside plates in said trough, said transverse partitions being cut away ontheir lower sides; and a pocket having' an inlet-opening near thedischarge-opening of said sluice-box.

EDW'ARD S. KELLEY.

/Vitnesses:

Gr. H. KNAAK, ED. A. GAST.

